The Beer100 Origin Story

The Beer100 Origin Story

As a fan of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, I had always wanted to hike the length of Trail 100 as it wound its way from the Shaw Butte, past North Mountain, over to Dreamy Draw and finally ending near my “local” trailhead.

Years passed before I’d finally get around to it, in large part because I was spending so much time hiking outside the city and I found it difficult to do such a long hike without enjoying the solitude of the wilderness.

Similarly, I’ve long joked that my water bladder was actually filled with beer. I finally decided to do just that, and what better way to do a long urban trail than while enjoying one of my favorite beers.

The Beer100 was born.

On December 20, 2104, I joined a hike with a few friends and a few of their friends. My camelbak was filled with Kilt Lifter. They thought I was crazy. Two of my friends planned on joining me for the challenge, but both gave up after a couple of beers.

That first time, my goal wasn’t the 100 ounces of beer the Beer100 now requires. It was actually to drink one beer per mile of the trail. That meant I needed to down at least 120 ounces, plus most of a can for the last 7/10ths of a mile. I filled up my 100oz camelbak most of the way, and then refilled from a few cans at Dreamy Draw Park. After I had completed my 11th Kilt Lifter and was within sight of the car signaling the end, I guzzled the Modelo I had brought. I made it the nearly 11-miles drinking only 12 beers. Huzzah!

Remarkably, no one on the hike thought I was ever terribly drunk, and I had no issues with balance, nausea, or dehydration.